


Come What May

by The_Wandering_Quill



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Anna is Kafei, Elsa is Anju, Elsanna - Freeform, F/F, Multiple Timelines, Time Travel, inspired by the Kafei and Anju sidequest in Majora's Mask, they're obviously not related in this one
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-24
Updated: 2015-06-23
Packaged: 2018-04-05 21:47:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,976
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4196070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Wandering_Quill/pseuds/The_Wandering_Quill
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“…I will love you, until the end of time.” </p><p>They told her Anna had gotten cold feet, but Elsa knew better. And she would wait, even as the world burns around them from the moon plummeting towards the earth, for the chance to hold Anna in her arms once again.</p><p>Elsanna take on the Kafei and Anju sidequest in <i>Majora's Mask</i>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come What May

**Author's Note:**

> FFnet counterpart with the full Author's Notes [HERE](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11334873/1/Come-What-May). 
> 
> I do not own _Frozen_ or the sidequest in _Majora's Mask_.
> 
> Many thanks to **Wolf Brigade** for beta-ing, and to **kaiserklee** for helping to inspire this story!

* * *

  **Come What May**

_Prologue_

* * *

Their first meeting was one Elsa would never forget.

…Or the rest of the townsfolk, for that matter.

Clock Town was located at the very center of Arendelle, allowing it to become a bustling hub of activity, especially on festival days. The Festival of Time, of course, was Arendelle's most important event of the year, with the Festival of Masks—colloquially known as the Clock Town Masquerade—coming in as a close second. It was the latter festival they were celebrating today, and the committee was busy setting up the last of the booths in South Clock Town's large pavilion, for this year had promised a record-breaking attendance.

With her mother's help, Elsa had crafted a beautiful, snowflake-themed mask for the occasion, currently sitting in her room at the inn they owned, and waiting to be used later at the actual masquerade. The dress she had to go with it wasn't too bad, either. Of course, since she hadn't wanted to ruin it just yet, she simply wore her best white summer dress for the day. Nearly everyone in Clock Town was wearing their best, of course—they certainly had more people to dazzle and impress this year.

Elsa's mouth watered as she watched a few committee members carefully arranging pies on a long table for the eating contest in an hour. The smell drifted over to her spot sitting on the stone steps near West Clock Town, deliciously tempting to the ten-year-old girl. Her stomach grumbled in agreement, and Elsa squeaked in surprise, immediately wrapping her arms around her middle with her cheeks ablaze in embarrassment.

She needn't have worried about anyone hearing her, however, as loud crashes suddenly pierced through the low buzz of conversation in the area, seemingly coming from the town's eastern sector. Elsa snapped her head in its direction, her platinum blonde braid nearly hitting her in the face from the suddenness of her action. Blue eyes widened as a pig ran out from behind a house, with a redheaded blur fast on its heels.

"Halt, you swine!" the pig's pursuer cried, feminine voice echoing clearly through the stunned air of the pavilion.

The pig squealed as it zigzagged past some of the townsfolk who had either come to observe the preparations, or had just been passing through. By now, the people had begun to panic, eager to get out of the animal's way—and by extension, the girl chasing after it—and knocking over a few booths in their haste. Committee members rushed to correct the mess, and the pig took the opening they provided to dart beneath the long table filled with pies.

Unfortunately, the girl chasing after it had her head turned to call out an apology to a particularly panicked apple vendor, not noticing the table suddenly in her way. Elsa couldn't help but wince at the sight of the girl flipping onto the table from the force of the impact, crashing into the pies, and ending up sliding down the full length of the table, aided by the slickness of the various fruit juices and whatnot from inside them.

Somehow, the girl managed to shakily land on her feet at the end, all but hitting the ground running and ignoring the food still clinging to her twin braids, as well as the stains on her dress as she continued after the pig.

"I-I'm so sorry! I'll help you bake more!" Elsa heard the girl call over her shoulder just as she passed the stairs the blonde was still sitting on. She caught a glimpse of freckles and fiercely determined teal eyes as the girl turned her gaze back to in front of her, chasing her quarry into the western sector.

And before she could even process it, Elsa found herself following the girl.

Perhaps it was her curiosity over who this girl actually was. Maybe a desire to see this amusement through, or maybe even concern over the girl's well-being in her maddening chase through the town. And when her heart leapt to her throat when the redhead—who had somehow gotten on top of a wagon full of wares, lost her balance, swung over the fjord when she grabbed at a string of banners to keep herself from falling, and crashed into the mast of a nearby boat docked in the harbor—sank into the waters, Elsa knew it was the third reason.

Truly, and fully.

Her feet nearly flew over the cobblestones as the innkeeper's daughter bolted for the water's edge; pulse racing, and heartbeat loud in her ears. The pig gave her an 'oink' in greeting as it swam back towards the town, pulling itself out of the water, and onto the stone steps before nonchalantly continuing on its way. She blinked, noticing she had her hand halfway up in a wave before shaking her head, realizing how crazy the whole exchange would be. Elsa snapped her attention back to the fjord, eyes peeled for any sign of the redhead.

She found herself crouching, preparing to dive in to rescue the girl from drowning, when the girl in question suddenly broke through the water near the overturned boat, spluttering for breath. She looked like a wet dog with the way her red hair was plastered to her face, nearly obscuring her eyes as she began to tread water.

"H-Hey! Are you alright?" Elsa called out before she could think better of it, standing back up with some anxiety. The girl could keep herself afloat, but could she  _swim?_

The answer was yes, apparently, for a soaked redhead climbed out of the fjord not too long after, briefly remaining on her hands and knees beside the worried blonde. The girl exhaled loudly before shakily rising to her feet, shivering from the coldness of the water, and stumbling a bit. Elsa immediately reached out to catch her, wet hands gripping her own arms, and she found wide, teal eyes looking up at her from behind the red fringe.

Elsa blushed lightly when she realized she was close enough to count each and every single freckle on the girl's cheeks. She opened her mouth to apologize for intruding upon her personal space, but the redhead beat her to it, uttering a sound that she couldn't begin to describe even if she wanted to.

"P-Pardon?"

"Pretty!" the girl suddenly blurted out, although it still sounded a little strangled. She immediately took a step back from Elsa, hands clamping audibly over her mouth as her eyes widened in horror.

Even at ten years old, Elsa knew it was a rather extreme reaction to be having.

"H-Hey, I'm not gonna bite or anything—" she began worriedly, but the redhead managed to interrupt her once more, freckled cheeks heating up enough to probably dry herself off.

"I-I mean, you're really pretty and all—No! No, that's not what I meant! Wait, yes! I  _did_  mean that, like…you're not  _not_  pretty, y'know? But like…I shouldn't have said that! Even though you are! Pretty, I mean! Not…Wait, I meant… _Ugh!_ "

The girl abruptly stuck her hand out, nearly hitting the platinum blonde, considering how—somewhat—close they were standing near each other. Teal eyes refused to look at her, fixed instead on her soaked shoes. "I'm Anna," she mumbled sheepishly. "C-Can we start over?"

The girl—Anna—looked so thoroughly embarrassed, Elsa couldn't help the smile that formed on her face. She reached out to shake that freckled hand, but Anna seemed to realize last minute it was still wet, hurriedly withdrawing it to wipe uselessly against the still-soaked bodice of her dress. Realizing that as well, her hand hovered awkwardly between them instead, unsure of what to do now.

…That is, until Elsa decided to close the distance, and shook her hand anyway.

"My name is Elsa," she said with a reassuring smile, "And…yes, we can start over, if you'd like. I don't mind what's happened already, though."

"B-But I just said a bunch of stuff at you!" Anna countered, slipping out of Elsa's grasp.

"Yeah, but you also chased a pig through South Clock Town, knocked over a bunch of pies, tipped over a boat, and fell into the fjord," Elsa cheerfully responded, giggling behind the hand she had just used. "Next to  _that_ , it's nothing."

Anna groaned, covering her increasingly reddening face with her hands. "Please don't remind me…" She suddenly straightened up, eyes wide again as she looked around frantically, nearly hitting Elsa with her damp braids. "The pig! Oh my gosh, I forgot about the pig!"

"Um…"

"The pig! Did you see it?" the redhead asked as she grabbed the taller girl by the shoulders, her previous embarrassment quickly forgotten. "Anders asked me to get it back for him! That pig's his best friend—he's gonna be  _devastated!_ "

"I-It just walked past me after you fell in," Elsa answered, flustered by the sudden change. "I-I think it was heading for North Clock Town? If it's not running right now, you can probably still catch it—"

"C'mon! We gotta hurry before it gets away!" Anna cried, grabbing her hand and urgently tugging her along.

"W-Wait,  _'we'?_ " the blonde squeaked as the other girl pulled her in the direction of the town's northern sector. Her legs moved of her own accord, and they were nearly there before Elsa finally managed to gather a hold of her thoughts. "Anna, slow down! Why are you bringing  _me_  alo—"

"Shhhh!" the shorter girl interrupted her, frowning in seriousness as she abruptly brought them both to a halt. They were standing within the stone archway leading into North Clock Town, having just crossed the bridge. Following Anna's determined gaze, Elsa caught sight of the pig casually sniffing at the flower arrangements for a vendor's cart. The owner was currently busy talking with a customer, and hadn't noticed the animal yet.

"Okay, here's the plan: you distract 'em, and I grab the pig," the redhead whispered, finally letting go of her hand. "But we gotta be quick before someone sees from the mayor's office. Sound good?"

Elsa furrowed her brow in confusion. "Why the mayor's office?"

"In case guards show up or somethin'!"

"Anna, I'm sure the nice man would understand if we told him," the blonde tried to reason, already resigning herself to the fact that she was going to help this girl, like it or not. Anna's teal eyes were so wide, bottom lip jutting out in an adorable pout.

 _And her clothes are still wet._  Elsa mentally slapped herself for not offering to take the girl back to the Winter Wolf Inn to dry off. "Look, why don't I talk to him, and you can go home or something to change your clothes?" she suggested, already taking a step towards the pig and the oblivious flower vendor.

Anna's eyes slid over to somewhere past Elsa's left shoulder. "Uhhh…how about  _your_  home instead?"

"Mine?" the blonde repeated, scrunching her eyebrows briefly in confusion. Her voice was apparently louder than she intended, for a surprised 'oink' immediately drew their attention.

The vendor shouted, turning around to shoo the pig away, but it was already in the midst of attempting to escape, having spotted the two of them. Elsa lunged without thinking, and managed to wrap her arms around the pig before it could get away. It struggled in her grasp; dirtied hooves swiping at the front of her dress as it thrashed its head about. Beady eyes met hers after an ear flicked her face, and for some reason, the animal relaxed in her embrace. It wasn't struggling anymore—the pig had turned to sniff curiously at her instead—but unfortunately for her dress, the damage was already done.

"Sooooooo…" Anna began, drawing out the word as Elsa turned her head to frown at her. "Where did you say you live, again?"

Elsa sighed, and the pig seemed to sigh along with her, strange as that was. After a quick apology to the flower vendor for scaring him, Elsa led the way to the Winter Wolf Inn, never once letting go of the pig in case it would run off again. Judging by the way it seemed to snuggle into her arms, that didn't seem too likely…though the way it began to fidget whenever Anna came too close kept her from ever fully setting it down. She was actually surprised to find that the pig wasn't all that heavy.

"Anders!" Anna suddenly cried just as the Winter Wolf Inn came into view amidst the crowds of the town's eastern sector. A younger boy with an oversized hat was milling around one of the nearby maypoles, shoulders drooped in obvious defeat. At the redhead's call, however, he immediately perked up, flashing a gap-toothed smile their way.

"Norm!" Anders shouted, spreading his arms. The pig nearly kicked Elsa in the stomach in its sudden haste to free itself, and she immediately let go. Norm clumsily landed on the cobblestones, shaking its head briefly before taking off towards his boy, oinking happily. Anna tugged at her arm again, giggling about the look on Elsa's face or something as she led them both over to Anders.

"Thank you so much, Anna! Oh, and you too, miss!" the boy exclaimed as Norm rubbed against the side of his leg, not unlike how a cat would to show affection. Laughing, he crouched down to lightly scratch at the top of the pig's head, grinning even more at the snout sniffing excitedly at his collar.

Elsa couldn't help but smile at the sight, and another tug on her arm drew her attention once more. Anna's eyes shone brightly from behind her damp fringe as she giggled. "New clothes, remember? You look almost as bad as me!"

Blue eyes dropped to the front of her once-pristine white dress, and Elsa groaned, shoulders drooping.  _Mama's gonna kill me for this…_  Mentally composing apologies to avoid her doom, Elsa led the way to the Winter Wolf Inn, with Anna calling a brief goodbye to Anders over her shoulder. Swallowing hard and grabbing Anna's hand for  _some_  sort of comfort at least, she pushed open the door.

"Just a second, sir," her mother's voice reached her ears, having been directed at another patron before turning to them. "Hello, welcome to th—E-Elsa? What happened to your dress, dear?"

"Hi, mama," Elsa mumbled, turning away from Gerda's bewildered face to look at her shoes. In doing so, she caught sight of the man standing near the counter, and her gaze drifted back up again to take in his neatly-combed sandy hair, pencil mustache, and crisp navy suit.

Her jaw dropped open.

"M-Mayor Dotour!" she stammered, dropping to a hasty curtesy. She needn't have bothered, however, as his hazel eyes were focused on the redhead beside her instead. The worry she hadn't noticed on his face before gave way to relief, only to shift to exasperation.

"Anna, there you are! I've received reports of disturbances all over the town!" Mayor Agdar Dotour scolded not unkindly, "Young lady, you can't just run all over the place, knocking down booths and ruining pies. Certainly not chasing after pigs, especially on such an important day! And you've gone ahead and ruined your dress!"

Anna's cheeks grew red as her shoulders hunched to her ears, her voice meek. "Sorry, papa…"

Elsa's head immediately whipped to the side, meeting the redhead's sheepish grin.

 _Wait…'papa'? Her father's the_ mayor?!

* * *

Anna may have been the only daughter of the mayor, but it became very clear over the years that she wasn't like either of her parents. Whereas Agdar and Idunn Dotour—or  _Madame_  Dotour, as she preferred to be called—indulged in the wealth and perks of their position, distancing themselves from the townsfolk, Anna mingled with the people daily.

Or rather, one person in particular.

"Hmph! Still too cold, child.  _Gerda_  would've made it perfect," Weselton scoffed, turning his large, pointed nose away from the bowl of soup.

Elsa's heart clenched at the reminder that her mother was gone, but still she pushed the tray of food towards her grandfather, knowing Gerda wouldn't have wanted them fighting over her barely two years after her death. "Cold or not, you have to keep up your strength," she insisted with a frown.

"'Keep up'? I'll have you know that I'm still as sprightly as I was in my youth! An agile peacock, my dear!"

Weselton could almost be as stubborn as Anna sometimes.

The sound of the inn's front door banging open drew her attention, followed by a cheerful "Good afternoon!" to her father at the front desk.

 _And speaking of Anna_ …

"I'll just leave this here," Elsa said as stepped away from the table, hands already fiddling restlessly with her apron. She tried not to simply rush to the door, knowing that Anna was in the same building, and instead forced herself to walk in calm, even steps. Her grandfather may have grumbled something, but she had already tuned out his nasally voice in favor of keeping her ears pricked for every hint she could get of the girl's presence.

A giggle and Kai's own laugh, muffled by the wooden door.

Said door opened a heartbeat later, and Elsa had the presence of mind to at least close it behind her before hurrying down the hallway. She had just passed the stairs leading up to the second floor when a familiar redhead came into view, elbows resting on the check-in desk as she chatted amiably with her father.

Teal met blue, and Elsa's lips curled into a bright smile.

"I was wondering when I'd see your pretty face around here," Anna drawled as she pushed away from the desk, almost skipping over to the taller girl. Elsa met her halfway, and sun-kissed arms immediately wrapped around her in a tight hug, which she returned just as eagerly.

"Though, 'beautiful' would be a better word than 'pretty'," her best friend mused, pulling away with a smirk. "Who knew you'd turn out like this? Seriously, Elsa. It's almost unfair! Eight years, and  _I'm_  still gangly and awkward and covered in freckles."

She felt her cheeks heat up at the compliment, heart skipping as it always did lately around Anna. The shorter girl had told her that plenty of times before, but nowadays…

"Oh, hush.  _You're_  beautiful too, freckles and all," Elsa said, gripping the girl's shoulders to press a kiss to her forehead as revenge for earlier. Taking a step back, she admired her handiwork—Anna's cheeks had turned almost as red as her hair.

"B-But you're  _beautifuller!_ " her best friend blurted, eyes immediately widening at her grammatical mistake. "I-I-I don't mean fuller. N-Not fuller, I-I mean… _more_  beautiful! Definitely not fuller! Well, I mean…you kinda are, since that che—"

Hands immediately slapped over her mouth in mounting horror at the words that had spilled from her lips. While Kai had been stifling his chuckles during their exchange, he couldn't quite contain one this time, strengthening Elsa's own blush at the girl's faux pas. She had almost forgotten they weren't alone.

Elsa managed a shy smile. "S-So what's the plan for tod—"

"I want to take you somewhere."

There was another loud slap as Anna covered her face with her hands. Kai walked away from the check-in desk, shaking his balding head between chuckles. "I think I'll leave you two alone to sort this out," the portly man called over his shoulder, disappearing into the hallway through the doorway near the desk.

An awkward silence hung over them.

Elsa coughed lightly— _anything_  to make the moment less awkward—and opened her mouth to finally reply.

…Only for her father to beat her to it.

"Oh, and Anna? Please have her back by ten, at the latest. I don't care if you  _are_  the mayor's daughter, but should you try anything today, I'll see to it that you'll never have a good night's rest again," Kai declared cheerfully, briefly poking his head through the doorway before disappearing once again.

Silence.

"I-Innkeeper jokes, you know? I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it," Elsa finally said, hoping her voice didn't sound too strangled. Her heartbeat seemed impossibly loud, quickening at the thought of where they could stand after today.

Anna still had her hands over her face.

_What if she feels the same way…? Embarrassing as papa was, this could…this could actually be a good thing._

"…I had the whole day planned and everything," came the whimper behind those tanned hands, shoulders hunching up to her ears. "I had a  _plan_. And then we were supposed to go to the clock tower at the end of it, and—"

"Oh, Anna…" Elsa murmured past the ache in her heart, reaching out to gently pull the girl's hands away from her face. She laced their fingers together, ducking her head with an affectionate smile as she tried to meet Anna's gaze. "Hey. Look at me, won't you?"

She still refused to, of course, biting her lip as she kept her eyes trained on her mud-stained shoes.

Elsa giggled at the adorable display. "What am I going to do with you?"

"…You could love me."

Her heart leapt to her throat, blood rushing to her cheeks at Anna's mumbled admission. The shorter girl squeezed her hand, silently begging her not to run away as the ensuing silence stretched on. It was so quiet, the steady pace of the clock on the wall seemed louder than usual to her ears. She could even hear the faint hints of conversation from patrons upstairs in the hallway.

The ache in Elsa's cheeks told her exactly how big her smile was.

"Only if you do the same for me."

Anna's head immediately whipped up at that, shocked teal eyes  _finally_  locking onto her own glacial blue.

"Wh-What?"

Elsa giggled at her best friend's adorably bewildered state, tugging her hands away so she could place them on the other girl's shoulders. "You're too adorable for your own good sometimes. Eighteen years old, and you're still going strong?  _Really_ , what am I going to do with you?"

Anna didn't seem to hear her—she was still struggling to form a cohesive sentence.

Fortunately for the flustered redhead, Elsa decided to take pity on her and erase any doubt to her intentions. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips to Anna's, eyes sliding closed at the feeling of softness and warmth and  _Anna_  and—

It took another moment for the reality of the situation to kick in, but when it did, Anna kissed her back with a passion rivaling a hundred suns, cupping Elsa's face in near-desperation like one who had been deprived of air for far too long.

 _Finally_ , Elsa distantly thought as Anna grinned against her mouth.

**Finally.**

* * *

"Well, our first kiss was in the Winter Wolf lobby," Anna pointed out, shaking a finger at Elsa as if that would change her mind. "Which, by the way,  _completely_  ruined my plan for it to be in front of the clock tower as the grand finale!"

"A story you've told a hundred times by now," Elsa teased, rolling her eyes at her girlfriend of three years.

Anna crossed her arms, squinting suspiciously. "I think I can be forgiven if I'm a  _bit_  skeptical for today."

"It's the  _Festival of Time_ ," Elsa insisted, wrapping an arm around the tense redhead and pulling her to her side. "Plus, the clock tower's roof is going to open to the public soon. No matter what, it's going to be better than any other place in town."

It was true. For all the other days of the year, the door leading to the top of the tower was kept tightly shut, and could only be opened when the building's inner mechanisms deigned it was time. Other than that, the only way anyone could get up there was if they scaled the outside of the clock tower itself.

Which, of course, was  _far_  too dangerous.

…At least in Elsa's eyes, considering Anna had received a broken arm for her efforts a few years back.

"How long do you think we'll have to wait to get in?" her girlfriend asked, frowning as she surveyed the crowds gathered in North Clock Town. "I mean, this  _is_  what everyone comes here for. Aside from the food, the games, the masks, and…you know. Stuff."

"So glad to see the future mayor of Clock Town knows so much about Arendelle's biggest festival," Elsa mused, hiding her smile behind a gloved hand. "But I doubt we'll have to wait until almost sunrise to get in. Not like the year you and I first met."

She tilted her head in confusion when Anna simply scrunched her eyebrows at her and frowned disapprovingly by way of a response. Sun-kissed hands reached up to tug her gloved ones away, a thumb absently rubbing over the soft material, and Anna's frown immediately turned into a satisfied grin.

"There! That's  _definitely_  better."

It was Elsa's turn to furrow her brow. "What's better?"

"Your smile," Anna said as she brought up their entwined hands together, shyly looking up at the blonde after pressing a feather-light kiss to a gloved knuckle. "It's beautiful. You shouldn't hide it away like that…Even though it  _does_  make you more adorable, but still! No more hiding!"

"Alright, I won't!" Elsa laughed, leaning forward to pepper her girlfriend's face with affectionate kisses. "I have to warn you: it'll be hard to break that habit."

Anna interrupted her barrage by capturing Elsa's lips into a brief kiss. With those warm, pliant lips moving against her own, Elsa couldn't help but melt into it, pressing back more eagerly than usual. The security she felt right then and there helped to stem her growing nervousness for what Anna's reaction would be later.

"Well…I guess I'll just have to stick around to remind you," the redhead declared once they parted, and it took Elsa a moment to realize what her girlfriend was talking about. Her pulse was still rushing, her skin heated up, and pupils dilated with want.

_And after today…_

"Forever," Elsa murmured absently, glacial pools flicking over to the clock tower, where her future would be decided.

"Oh? Forever is a long time," Anna teased, and Elsa inwardly thanked the gods for the redhead's obliviousness towards her hints. Really, it was both a blessing  _and_  a curse.

Elsa smiled fondly at Anna's freckled face, the girl's lips curled into a smirk and a single eyebrow arched daringly. Tugging a hand free, the blonde reached up to tuck a stray strand of burnished copper behind her girlfriend's ear, fingers brushing her freckled cheek as she did so.

"Until the end of time," Elsa whispered.

The fireworks went off.

All around them, the crowd assembled in North Clock Town gave a collective cheer; many of them throwing hats, masks, and whatever else they had into the air in their excitement. If Anna wasn't so stunned right now, Elsa was certain she would've been cheering the loudest.

Cheeks flushing brightly at how bold she had been, the blonde turned her gaze away to the clock tower, which was in the midst of transforming itself and finally revealing the door leading up to its roof. Up, up her eyes traveled, until they reached the moon high above. Normally, its menacing grimace and intimidating orange-yellow eyes would've been far enough away that she could easily ignore it, having grown up to its stare all her life, but…it seemed slightly closer today.

"Do you know  _why_  we celebrate the Festival of Time?" Elsa asked, the moon giving her the perfect subject to transition to as people began climbing up the steps to the door. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth, wondering if she had been too forward earlier.

 _If_ that  _was too forward for her, then I can only imagine how she'll react when we're up there…_

She nearly flinched when Anna gave her hand a squeeze. "I, uh…Well, I'm sure Papa and Mama mentioned it before…"

Elsa couldn't help but giggle, gaze drifting down to the clock tower. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see the expression on Anna's face. "You're eventually going to be the mayor. Really, I know you don't like the economics of Clock Town, but I thought for sure history would—"

"I just like listening to your voice, is all."

Her head whipped to the side, glacial blue immediately seeking out that warm, familiar teal. Anna's brilliant smile greeted her, and Elsa allowed her to tug them along as the crowd steadily moved forward. "You tell the best stories," her girlfriend continued, "And I don't think I've heard you tell me this one."

"Because I assumed you know of it."

"And I do!" Anna insisted as they drew closer to the clock tower. "I just…want to hear  _you_  tell it." She leaned her head on the blonde's shoulder, all but hugging her arm now. "Please, Elsa?"

Elsa had always been powerless to refuse her anyway.

"Long ago, they say Arendelle comprised of four distinctly different worlds," she began, smiling as she felt Anna absently tracing the intricate patterns on her sleeve. "There were the beast-shifters of the north—men and women who could take on the form of a large wolf with the mane of a lion, walking upright on their hind legs. Some even had horns as they grew older, and few can rival their brute strength."

"I saw a beast-shifter once," Anna piped up. "He came to visit Papa, and his horns were  _huge!_ "

Elsa chuckled at her girlfriend's enthusiasm. "Some prefer their beast form, yes. And others don't particularly care."

"You speak as if from experience," the redhead quipped, and Elsa shot her a look.

"Well, they  _do_  stay at the inn on occasion, just like everyone else. Now do you want me to continue the story or not?"

"Sorry, sorry! You  _know_  I like furry things and animals!"

"Pigs most of all…" the blonde chuckled under her breath. It wasn't as quiet as she had thought, for Anna aggressively nuzzled her shoulder in retaliation. As if  _that_  could serve as a deterrent.

She smiled at her girlfriend's adorable pout, and continued her story. "To the south, forest spirits danced and played in the thick woods they called home. With skin of bark and leaves for hair, one could easily mistake them for a tree at a distance. They held great reverence for the rivers and pools in their world, for water was the source of life."

Elsa's smile grew as she used her free hand to poke daintily at Anna's nose, voice teasing. "In the west, dwelt the fish folk of the fjords."

"Gods, that was  _one_  time!" the redhead hissed under her breath, cheeks flaming.

"And it was my  _favorite_ ," Elsa soothed, giving Anna's hand an affectionate squeeze. "I wouldn't have met you otherwise."

"You would've met me at some point."

"True," she replied with a thoughtful hum, "but tell me…would we have grown as close as we are now?"

… _And, hopefully, even closer?_

"Probably not," Anna agreed with a huff. "And I'll shut up now. Here I am, saying I like listening to your voice, and I'm running my own mouth off!"

"If it's any consolation, I love hearing your commentary," Elsa murmured, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head. A quick glance told her they were almost to the steps leading up to the door. Another glance assured her that yes, the second mask she had hidden away in her cloak was still there.  _Or else this whole thing will be for naught,_  she inwardly sighed, but cleared her throat to carry on with her tale.

"Now the east was home to the valley, and that is where we come in—humans with no special ability of our own other than to create. And of the four worlds, the humans' buildings could withstand the test of time the longest," Elsa said as they took the first step. "Unfortunately, the humans' ability to  _destroy_  was just as great, and eventually a terrible war seized their world. The lush valley withered into a bleaker terrain, bathed with the blood of the fallen, for a great many had died in what amounted to be a pointless war.

"But not everyone took part in the violence. These humans pleaded to the god watching over them for an escape, for a more peaceful world where they could live in harmony. What they did not know, however, was that their god was but one of four."

"The giants," Anna said with a grin, eyes twinkling, and Elsa knew this must be her favorite part.

"Yes, the giants. Revered as gods, long ago,  _if_  the stories are to be believed," the blonde chuckled as they neared the door. "The giant heard his people's cry, and consulted the other three in their special realm—the fifth world—in which they resided."

She paused as they entered the upper half of the clock tower, its ancient clockwork sounding all around them, along with the excited voices of the festival-goers.

"The result of their decision…was Arendelle," Elsa murmured into Anna's ear, knowing the redhead wouldn't have heard her otherwise in the din. "They combined the four worlds together along with their own, doing away with the boundaries that once separated everyone. The people of the east, of course, fled as soon as they were able…and fortunately for the new land of Arendelle, those left behind were too engrossed in their bloody war to venture beyond their borders."

They were nearing the roof now.

"The humans arrived at the center of Arendelle, where the giants awaited them. With the blessings of their gods and their own skills of creation, the former people of the east built a town. A town where everyone from the four worlds could live in harmony, if they desired. That town eventually became known as Clock Town, and the clock tower in particular held special significance."

Together, they ascended the final steps, finally reaching the topmost part of the tower.

"For in this very spot, the giants parted ways with each other and the new people of Arendelle. One hundred steps to the north, one hundred to the east, one hundred to the south, and one hundred to the west," Elsa said as they took in the utterly breathtaking view afforded to them from such a height. The mountainous range in front of them, the fjord and beyond to their left, the sprawling forest behind, and the misty vale to their right, a lone tower rising up in the distance.

From here, one truly felt like they were at the center of the world…and  **gods** , was it humbling.

"The giants told the people of Clock Town that should the need ever arise, they can be called with a special song," Elsa continued as a fresh batch of fireworks launched into the sky, eliciting excited cheers from those gathered above and below. She didn't care for either, focused instead on the enraptured teal before her, hanging on to her every word.

"The Oath to Order," the blonde whispered, grinning at Anna's enthusiastic nod. "We celebrate the Festival of Time to remember them, and their promise to return. For seconds can turn into minutes, minutes into hours, and hours into days on end…but the giants are eternal. And they will come, when we need them most. When the song reveals itself in time."

She pulled away from Anna, just enough so their hands were the only things in contact with each other, and shifted to stand directly in front of the mesmerized redhead.

"For much like the Clock Tower, the song will appear only when it's ready."

… _And I will wait for you, should you refuse, until you are ready._

" _Gods_ …Here I thought it was impossible to fall for you all over again, but apparently I was wrong!" Anna finally choked out, smiling so widely, her cheeks must have hurt. She moved in for a kiss, but Elsa took a step back, maintaining their distance.

The blonde took another step, and another, tugging her now-confused girlfriend along until they stood at the very center of the Clock Tower's circular roof. "I'm afraid you'll have to say that again after this," Elsa said as the crowd made room for them, just as planned. "Or at least, I'm hoping that's how you'll feel."

Somewhere, the previously-silent band began to play a slow, gentle melody. Elsa smiled as Anna's eyes widened in recognition—it was her favorite song, after all. She drew the redhead closer, leading them into a simple dance not unlike the ones they sometimes did when no one else was looking. Elsa softly sang along, resting her forehead against Anna's. They swayed to the music, and Elsa never felt so acutely before. The breeze running through their hair, Anna's warmth, the magnetic pull between them…

" _Seasons may change, winter to spring…"_

" _But I'll love you,"_  Anna finally joined in near the end, her voice sounding strangled, and her eyes gleaming with tears.

" _And I'll love you,"_  Elsa gently affirmed.

" _Until the end…of…time."_

The crowd around them cheered a little as the music ended…only to grow in volume when Elsa reached behind her to reveal the mask she had hidden. Anyone familiar with Arendelle's customs would know what it was; what was so special about having a second mask at the Festival of Time.

And, if everything went as she hoped, they would be doing this again one year from now.

Anna immediately took a step back, clamping both hands over her mouth as tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

"Anna Dotour," Elsa began, fiddling with the mask and fully aware of Madame Dotour's disapproving gaze  _somewhere_  in the crowd. "You are…my very best friend."

A sob escaped.

"You are my closest confidant, my partner in crime," she continued, reaching out to brush a gloved thumb over her freckled cheek, catching a tear. "And you are the most important person in my life. Every day I thank the gods for bringing us together, on that day we first met. I never imagined I would be standing here, eleven years from then, asking you to marry me."

Anna's breath hitched, as did most of those gathered.

Elsa withdrew her hand, and moved it so she could firmly clasp the mask with both hands. It was a lot like the one she had prepared for the Masquerade eleven years ago—carefully crafted to a snowflake theme. However, unlike that mask, she had gone to greater lengths to make this one special.

For with the generous help of one of the fish folk…the mask was made entirely out of ice—a spell cast so nothing short of a magical fire could melt it.

"This mask I hold…is my promise. To love you until the end, and even after. I am yours, if you will have me. Truly, and fully."

Elsa held out the engagement mask, praying to the gods no one would notice how shaky her hands were.

"Anna Dotour, will you…will you marry me?"

For several heart-stopping moments, Anna simply stood there…crying and shaking her head. Elsa's heart plummeted at the sight, clenching painfully at the thought of—

"S-So not fair…"

She blinked, brow furrowing in confusion. "Wait…what?"

"It's not fair," Anna repeated in a much stronger voice, bringing her hands away so Elsa could see the watery smile on her face. "I planned to pr-propose to you next week. A-At the Ice Festival you love so much. I was gonna carve something for you."

Her heart leapt to her throat at the admission, but even so, Elsa couldn't help a faint twinge of guilt at ruining Anna's plans. "I-I'm sorry, Anna. Could we forget this happened? Gods, what was I  _thinking?_  The Ice Festival would've been  _much_  more appropriate than—"

Anna silenced her with a kiss, and the crowd erupted into a cheer. Warm hands closed over hers, easily tugging the mask out of her slackened grasp and officially sealing their engagement.

"I don't mind what's happened so far," Anna said as she pulled away, eyes still puffy, nose still red, and her lips curled into the warmest smile Elsa had ever seen on her. "And you're right. About earlier. You're making me fall for you all over again."

"So…is that a yes?"

"Of course it's a yes, you idiot!" her girlfriend-turned-fiancée exclaimed as the crowd resumed their enjoyment of the festivities. She grabbed Elsa's shoulders, and peppered the blonde's face with kisses.

"Of course I want to marry you!" Anna murmured between each one, " _Gods_ , I've wanted to marry you  _so much_ …I don't care what mama thinks. You're genuine, you're thoughtful—"

"—and I would give you the sun, moon, and sky if I could," Elsa whispered, cupping her fiancée's face with both hands to stop the loving barrage. She brushed her thumbs over Anna's cheeks, glacial blue thawing under the vulnerable teal before her.

"I don't think I'd want the moon. Its face is too creepy," Anna blurted out, and Elsa had to laugh because…well…

It was  _Anna_.

The newly engaged couple shared another kiss high on the tower at the center of the world. All around them, fireworks burst into the sky once more as the people of Arendelle—humans, beast-shifters, forest spirits, and fish folk—celebrated with all they had.

A figure silently watched the festivities from his perch atop the tall cliffs just outside of the town. His pointed mask gleamed from the fireworks' lights.

And slowly, the moon inched ever closer.


End file.
